Air-coupling.



J. (a; COFFIELD. AIR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED APR. 20. I916.

Patented Apr. 3,1917.

2 SHEETS-*SHEETI WWII nvmvro/r J /WAS 6 Cor/0x40,

W/T/VESSES. 4/

B 94 A TTOR/VE Y8 JAMES GATLING COFFIELD, 0F NORFOLK WILLIAM'G. COFFIELD, OF NORFOLK, V

, vInenvIa, Ass eivon or ONE-THIRD 'ro radium, AND oNn-rrIInD TO WILLIAM H.

COFFIELD, 0F EDENTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

AIR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 191?.

Application filed April 20, 1916. Serial No. 92,466.

To all whom it mayooncergt;

Be it known that l, JAMEs G. COFFIELD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Air-Cow plings, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to automatic coupling arrangements for air and steam hose between railway'cars, and more particularly to a simple, effective arrangement whereby automatic coupling may be provided for, my object being to provide a practical efficient construction for this'purpose, as well as one capable of ready adaptation to the under-rigging of cars at points immediately below the draw heads thereof.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention,

Figure 1 is a side view of the adjoining ends of two cars provided withmy improvements, showing the couplers in coupled position.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through two couplers in engaged position.

Fig. 3 isa view of a fragmentary portion of two couplers in disengaged relation.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section taken substantially on line 14c of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of one of the couplers.

Fig.6 is a detail perspective view of one of the couplers, the rear support thereof being broken away.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the connecting members, removed.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one of the suspension frames.

Referring now to these figures, and particularly to Figs. 2 and 6, the coupling heads 10 as proposed by my invention, are each provided with side openings 11 and with rear vertically disposed upper and lower trunnions 12, the latter engaging longitudinal slots 13 in the upper and lower forwardly extending arms 14: of a pivot block 15, the forward surface of which pivot block and the rear surface of the head 10, are provided with cavities receiving the ends of coiled springs 16, arranged upon opposite sides of the longitudinal axes of the head 10 and block 15, so as to normally support these At its rear end, the block 15 is provided with rearwardly projecting side arms 17, through which is extended a transverse pivot bolt 18 projecting also through the lower forward extension 19 of a rear supporting bracket 20, having upwardly projecting side portions 21 which may be either bolted to the lower surface of a car as indicated in Fig. 1, or to one of the draw heads thereof, the forward portion of the head 10 being supported in vertically movable relation by means of a suspension frame including side rods 22, the upper ends ofwhich are pivotally connected to connecting members 23 bolted or otherwise secured to'the extreme ends of the cars or beneath the end platforms thereof, and the lower ends of which side rods 22 are similarly connected to the opposite ends of a cross piece 24 extending beneath the head 10, as also seen in Fig. 1.

Each head 10 is thus supported in connection with a car for yielding movement in various directions to permit of the proper engagement of two opposing coupling heads coming together, either in a straight line or upon a curve. 7

Each of the heads 10 is,furthermore, hollow, and is provided with a pivot bolt 25 ex tended vertically therethrough at one side of its longitudinal axis, and with an internal transverse wall 26 provided with a recessed shoulder 27 at one side of the pivot pin 25 for a purpose to be presently described, the extreme forward end of the head having oppositely projecting lateral extensions 28 and 29 and having an inner inclined face 30 at one side of the forward end of its cavity remote from the pivot pin 25.

The lateral extension 28 at one side of the forward portion of thehead is provided with a forwardly projecting conical guide member 81, and the opposite extension 29 is provided with a circular opening 32, so that when two opposing couplers come together, as shown in Fig. 2, the projecting cone 31 of each extends into the cone receiving opening 32 of the other and effects simultaneous shifting of the two heads into the proper position to permit of firm uniform engagement of their connecting members to be presently described.

of" tensioning inward longitudinal move- V ment of the connecting member 33 and normally holdlng the 831110111 an inclined posltion against one side of the cavity ofv the head 10 as shown particularly in Fig. 3.

Each connecting member 33 is provided withlongitudinal bores 37, the rear ends of which open through the sides of theconnectingmember and receivenipples 38 extending exteriorly through'the side openings 11 of the head 10 and adapted for the receptionrof the; airand' steam hose 39, the forward ends ofthe longitudinal bores37 communicating with lateral ports l0 opening through'o'ne side of the connecting member 33 and into the outer'ends of which are countersunk gasket rings 41.

' Rearwardly of the lateral ports 40, each connecting'member 33 is provided with an extension 42 projecting from the same side thereof, and having a triangular socket or recess 43, the forward extremity of the connecting member being in theform of a triangular or wedge-shaped projection 44: of similar shape to the pocket or recess 43.

Thus the forward extremities of theconnecting members being inclined, when two coupler heads come together, said forward ends 44 of the connecting members opposing-one another, will first strike the inclined faces30 'ofthe heads 10 before referred to, and will be thus shifted laterally toward one another, against the tension of the springs 36 until their forward projections 44 enter the pockets or recesses 43, which engagement further guides the two connectingmembers 33 laterally in firm uniform contact 111 order to connect their a1r and steam ports 40, thesaid connecting members extending in 'normal'position sufficiently' beyond their respective heads, so that when the heads are firmly in engagement, the connectingmembers 33 will be both forced rearwardlywithin the cavities of their respective heads and against the tensions of springs 36, by: virtue of the longitudinal sliding movement upon the pivot pin 25.

It is thus obvious that the springs 36 will tend to hold the two connecting members 33 firmly in engagement with one another, irrespectiveof slight relative movements of the two. couplingheads 10, or of the swinging swaying movements of the cars to which they are attached;

It is further obvious that I provide a practical efiicient construction for the purpose described, which may be applied in connectionwith cars, without disturbing the present underrigging thereof, and which will effectively operate for the purposes intended, immediately beneath the ordinary draw head, and away from all danger of track obstructions and the like.

I claim:

1. In a train pipe coupling, the combina-. tion of a pair of coupling heads, each-having guiding. and connecting means, and each provided at its rear end with a vertically swinging connecting block and having pivot members movably associated with said block permitting limited longitudinal and laterally swinging movement of the heads with respect to said block and springs interposed between each of the said heads and its respective connecting block, for the purpose described.

2. In a train pipe connection, the combination of apair of coupling heads, each of said coupling heads having guidingand connecting means and having vertically proectmg trunnions at its rear end 111 line with its longitudinal axis, a connecting blockpivoted to swing vertically and having upper and lower forwardly projecting and longitudinally slotted arms receiving the trunnions of the said heads, and springs intcrposed between the rear end ofthehead and the forward end of the said connecting block, for the purpose described.-

3. In a train pipe connection, the combinationof a pair of-coupling heads, each of said coupling heads having guiding andi connecting means and havingvertically proj ecting-trunnions at its rear end in line with its longitudinal axis, a connecting block pivoted to swing vertically and having upper and lower forwardly projecting and longitudinally slotted arms receiving thetrunnions of the said heads, and springs intel-posed between the rear end of the head and the forward end of the said connecting block, for the purpose described, said springs being located upon relatively opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the head and the block.

4:. In a train pipe connection, the combination of a pair of coupling heads, each of which coupling heads is provided with guiding means at its forward end and with a cavity, and a laterally and longitudinally shiftable connecting member within the cavity of the head, and a spring controlling longitudinal shifting movement of the said connecting member and normally holding.

the latter at one side of the cavity of the head.

5. In a train pipe connection, the 'combi nation of a pair of coupling heads, each of which is provided at its forward end with guide members and has a cavity therein, a laterally and longitudinally shiftable connecting member within the cavity, provided with longitudinal bores, and with laterally opening ports in one side communicating with the forward ends of the said bores, said connecting member being provided with a longitudinally slotted opening adjacent its rear end and with a portion at one side of said opening opposing a portion of the said head, a pivot bolt extending vertically through the head and through the said slotted opening of the connecting member, and a spring interposed between the said opposing portions of the head and connecting member, for the purpose described.

6. In a train pipe connection, the combination of a pair of coupling heads, each of which heads is provided with guiding means and with a cavity, a laterally and longitudinally shiftable connecting member 7 within the cavity having laterally opening ports at one side adjacent its forward end and having its rear end longitudinally slotted opening, a plvot pin carried by the head and pro ecting vertically through said slotted opening of the connecting member, and a spring-interposed ports opening through one side thereof ad- 4 jacent its forward end and having its rear end provided with a longitudinally slotted opening, said connecting member also having a rearwardly facing shoulder at one side of its said slotted opening nearest to the said laterally opening ports thereof.

JAMES GATLING COFFIELD. Witnesses:

JOHN R. SEARS, W. O, CorrmLD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

provided with a 

